1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to candles, and more specifically to a support for a candlewick which makes the flame go out before the fuel exceeds its flashpoint and all of the candle fuel is consumed.
2. Description of the Related Art
Candlewicks function by capillary action drawing a fuel, commonly molten wax, from a pool up through the wick to the flame. The capillary action can be through a fabric or thread wick or through a capillary tube. When the candle fuel pool becomes very shallow, it can become hot enough to vaporize and it no longer needs a wick to burn. This phenomenon is called "flash" or "flashover." Once the upper surface of the wax descends nearly to the floor of the container, the shallow pool of wax can be elevated above its flashpoint temperature, typically about 425.degree. F. with conventional, common waxes. During flashover, the temperature within the candle can be elevated to at least 1200.degree. F. This excessive heat can cause glass containers to break, and it can cause paint to scorch off the sides of metal tins and char surfaces on which they are resting. With freestanding candles, the molten wax pool must not extend through the candle floor, because wax can flow out onto the candle supporting surface. If the wax flows out or the container of a contained candle breaks, supporting or surrounding objects can be ignited.
An additional problem is that debris in the form of carbon balls may form during burning and fall into the wax pool at the bottom of the candle, or the user may allow matches or wick trimmings to fall to the bottom. These foreign objects or debris may aggravate the flashover problem by becoming secondary wicks if they are ignited by the candle flame.
In conventional candles a wick support, such as the sustainer 2 shown in FIG. 1, is often used to provide lateral support to a wick in a candle to hold the wick in place during pouring of the wax or other fuel, and to keep the wick standing upright when the supporting wax around the wick burns very low. The wick is held in a bore formed completely through the sustainer. During burning, molten wax 4 is drawn upwardly through the wick sides initially, and is carried to the flame. As the upper surface of the molten wax 4 descends to near the top end of the sustainer 2, the heat from the flame liquifies the wax all around the sustainer 2. Once this wax is liquified, molten wax 4 can be drawn from beneath the sustainer 2 through the bore and upwardly to the flame. This permits the majority of the wax 4 to be consumed before the flame goes out from lack of fuel. When the depth of the molten wax 4 is sufficiently small, the flashover problem can occur.
Flashover is a problem which causes significant damage and harm. Therefore, the need exists for an inexpensive and simple safety device for preventing, or decreasing the likelihood of, flashover.